As his voice fell, Lu Yang ascended towards heaven.
And below him, millions of deities, sparks of fire, supported him, allowing his aura to further climb during this process.
"Rumble!"
In an instant, heaven and earth turned white.
The original scene of the firmament hanging upside down and the sea of lightning tilting over heaven vanished. Aside from Heaven Treading realm Great Perfected Lords, all other cultivators severed their peeping thoughts.
Because a strong sense of crisis told them that once they forcefully peeped, that terrifying lightning would strike directly along the connection of their divine senses.
"This is not something human power can block..."
"The Heavenly Lord is truly terrifying."
"That person is dead for sure!"
It wasn't until the blazing white faded from heaven and earth, like the ebb and flow of a tide, revealing the horizon, mountains, and rivers once again, that the crowd cast their gazes over again.
Then they saw a shocking scene.
Looking out, what met their eyes was scorched earth, a blank land, all things dim. There was only a single distinct color, standing tall and unyielding amidst the scorched earth.
Surrounding that color, various natural disasters appeared one after another. Floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, cold waves—they emerged endlessly, coming one after another, like the five fingers of a hand clenching forcefully, grasping that color within its palm, intending to thoroughly crush it into an ash.
However, in the next second.
"That's it? it's not enough!"
A heavy voice rang out from amidst the natural disasters. The profound voice echoed, more resonant than thunder. Subsequently, a towering figure rose towards heaven, looking taller than heaven itself!
In the next second, Lu Yang struck out with a palm.
Where the palm fell, the sea of lightning and heaven opened up, wind and clouds rolled mightily. The crimson radiance symbolizing the [Fate Revolution] even contaminated a portion of the thunder, causing it to turn its weapons against its master.
But more importantly, it was those deities from the [Dao-Attaining Hidden Profound Palace]. Under the leadership of the Old Dragon Lord, they rapidly began to occupy the territory below, simultaneously spreading towards the overseas region. The sparks of fire were rapidly burning, expanding, and invading the mighty power of the Immortal Nexus that originally belonged to the Heavenly Lord!
"..."
At this moment, the sound of thunder stopped.
Complete silence reigned. The rolling thunderclouds parted to the sides, as if heaven and earth had opened their eyelids, revealing a pair of chilling eyes staring straight at Lu Yang.
Ferocious! Ruthless!
Lu Yang frankly met their gaze, but suddenly smiled:
"Rather than calling you the Heavenly Lord, it's better to call you the Heavenly Demon. The first Immortal Spirit between heaven and earth... sounds domineering, but in reality, you're still just a stinking demon that doesn't belong to the orthodox lineage..."
Rumble!
Before his voice faded, the eyes within the dark clouds moved. Imagery condensed within those eyes, outlining light and shadow as if painting a picture.
Soon, the light and shadow took form, transforming into a Daoist with fluttering white robes. His appearance was eighty or ninety percent similar to Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon, yet he appeared even more dignified and imposing. Only his facial expression and temperament were different; compared to a sword cultivator's sharp and lofty air, this Daoist showed even more ferocious murderous intent, holding a brightly shining spiritual sword in his hand.
"The Great Sword Ancestor!..."
In an instant, the cultivators peeping at this heaven's punishment all stood stunned in place, dumbfounded one by one, subconsciously looking towards the Jiangnan region.
"Something's not right."
Within the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea, the first-generation Pill Cauldron Peak Master wore a solemn expression: "In the last rebelling againts the heaven, what the Heavenly Lord manifested was only the lingering traces of light and shadow left by us."
"The Great Sword Ancestor was not among them at the time."
This was very normal.
Because in the present age, only the Great Sword Ancestor possessed a certain amount of Primordial Spirit essence. And as a revered Primordial Spirit, his thoughts were perfect without any leaks; walking through heaven and earth would leave no traces.
Without leaving traces, naturally, he wouldn't be summoned by the Heavenly Lord.
In other words:
"For the Heavenly Lord to be able to summon him now, he must have obtained the Great Sword Ancestor's consent... Is it because of that sword strike the Great Sword Ancestor unleashed outside the grotto-heaven earlier?"
"Why is this so?"
Speaking of this, the first-generation Pill Cauldron Peak Master was somewhat puzzled. Although the Saint Sect and the Sword Pavilion had always been at odds, the Great Sword Ancestor's character was obvious to all.
He was definitely not an ally of the Heavenly Lord either.
Why would he help?
"Clang—!"
The hum of a sword echoed between heaven and earth. The white-robed swordsman manifested by the Heavenly Lord stood upon the thunderclouds, his expression indifferent, the spiritual sword in his hand slowly raising.
Instantly, warning bells blared loudly in Lu Yang's heart!
"He's testing me..."
Lu Yang's expression was calm, showing not the slightest intention of being apprehensive. Instead, his gaze passed over the white-robed Daoist and landed in the direction of Jiangxi, a smile curving on his lips.
"Then, let Fellow Daoist see clearly!"
...
Jiangxi, Spirit Mountain.
"Everyone, I have brought news from Master!"
Pan Huang held a jade slip recording in one hand, and took out a cultivation method in the other, saying loudly: "Switch your Dao Lineage and exert your strength for Master!"
Soon, the recording from Sisui spread throughout the entire Jiangxi. To the Three Foundations, it was as if unprecedented vitality had been injected into this dying giant. Soon, countless divine fires surfaced in Jiangxi, burning, spreading, and expanding in all directions at an unimaginable speed!
"Rumble!"
At this moment, the myriad mountains bowed their heads, the four seas hung upside down, and deafening thunder rolled. Even the heaven and earth spiritual qi of the entire Immortal Nexus was shaken at this moment!
"What is going on?"
For a time, an unknown number of cultivators felt a massive sense of crisis. Observing with their divine sense, they saw the ground they were on gradually sinking!
However, soon enough, they discovered something was wrong.
"It's not sinking, it's the overseas region."
"The seawater is surging up!"
Some Perfected Lords gazed into the distance, only to see the vast seawater surrounding the four sides of the Immortal Nexus surging over the high mountains, crossing the cities, and covering towards the Immortal Nexus!
If it were just a simple change in seawater, any random Perfected Lord could easily repel it.
But the problem was that within this trillion-li vast ocean, six Dao Fruits amplified it, shining brightly. Sweeping over at this moment, it was not something Perfected Lords could block!
[Water Element]!
The power of the entire [Water Element] that originally belonged to the Immortal Nexus had detached from the Heavenly Lord and fallen into Lu Yang's palm after the six Dragon Lords switched sides!
Even more than that.
Right after the divine fires were also ignited in the land of Jiangxi, Lu Yang once again snatched a piece of the Five Elements from the Heavenly Lord's hands, and this time it was the [Fire Element]!
Echoing with the [Mountain Peak Fire] and [Overtuned Lamp Fire] under Lu Yang's control.
In the firmament, raging firelight was ignited. [Thunderbolt Fire], [Mountain Base Fire], and [Furnace Crucible Fire] elected the final Dao Fruit, like a flock of ministers clustering around their sovereign.
[Heavenly Fire]!
Six Fire Element Dao Fruits, six Water Element Dao Fruits.
A total of twelve Dao Fruit stars, water and fire complementing each other, intertwining yin and yang, fusing light and color, dividing heaven and earth, simultaneously dismembering and shredding that vast thundercloud!
Between heaven and earth, the sound of thunder ceased to exist, and imagery was no longer displayed.
Only a calm and resolute resonant voice remained, carrying an unalterable will, spreading throughout the entire Immortal Nexus under the illumination of the light of water and fire.
"From today onwards, Jiangxi and the overseas region shall have communication between heaven and earth severed!"
After speaking, the light of water and fire completely submerged the thunderclouds in the sky. The Great Sword Ancestor's figure manifested by the Heavenly Lord, like a dream bubble, quietly exploded into nothingness.
...
Almost simultaneously, Jiangnan Sword Pavilion.
Gazing at this scene from afar, the Great Sword Ancestor suddenly released the suppressive force of the Extreme Heaven Cliff beneath his feet, allowing Ling Xiao, located deep within, to finally come out and take a breath.
Then he saw this going againts heaven that shook the Immortal Nexus.
"...Hoo!"
Feeling the fluctuations in Ling Xiao's thoughts, the Great Sword Ancestor said faintly: "Fellow Daoist's rebelling againts the heaven back then was for this person, right? But he did not come to save you."
Ling Xiao smiled: "Then it seems the time is not yet right."
"You trust him very much?"
"I wouldn't call it trust, just a fellow Daoists on the same path." Ling Xiao shook his head.
Hearing this, the Great Sword Ancestor sighed faintly: "Since that is the case, this person must also be a demon."
At this point, Ling Xiao couldn't be bothered to argue, saying decisively: "In this world, heaven inherently walks the demonic path. Is it not perfectly in line with heavenly principles for a demon to govern it?"
"...Sophistry."
"I will not argue right and wrong with Fellow Daoist."
Ling Xiao didn't care either, smiling:
"But since Fellow Daoist has the mind to observe, why not observe until the end? This will also allow Fellow Daoist to know of our grand merit and deeds that far surpass our predecessors!"
Only then did the Great Sword Ancestor unclench his tightly closed palm.
On his palm there was a scar. Although not deep, it truly existed.
If he hadn't tacitly agreed, the Heavenly Lord couldn't have borrowed his projection. And since he permitted it, when the projection was broken, he naturally suffered a backlash, and thus was injured.
In many years, this was the first time.
"...I will wait and see."